Is this Priest being unreasonable

[gordyslovesheep]

Really should call this thread 'why are those pesky Catholics so easily offended' but I did think it was a good antidote to the endless threads about Muslims

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19729211

I think it's a pity - my vicar lent his church hall to another denomination of Christians when they didn't have a building to worship in, and a church I used to know lent out their building for Arabic classes for Muslims. It's nice when people can do that sort of thing.

But if he treats all other faiths/spiritualities the same way as yoga, that's his business.

His choice I guess. Our (Catholic) church hall gets used for all sorts! But our priest is a bit of a party animal :o

'Ms Withell said she did not use meditation in her classes, just exercises. '

A spokesman for Portsmouth Catholic Diocese said: "It's not possible for Catholic premises to be used for non-Christian activities, and there is a dilemma with yoga as it can be seen as Hindu meditation or as relaxation."

But Ravindra Parmar, president of the Vedic Society Hindu Temple of Southampton, said yoga was "a form of exercise" and "not a religious type of activity".

So, the person running the class says it's just exercise and the Hindu spokesperson agrees. Sounds like the priest is a bit bigoted culturally ignorant. As for the impossibility of Catholic premises being used for non-Christian activities, I never realised that Bingo was a Christian activity.

I think he's spot on tbf.

It's a private hall and the priest has the right to do exactly what he likes. However the reason for cancelling the class - yoga may be purely exercise but comes from a Hindu tradition - is interesting. It seems to be an automatic rejection of a practice because it's from a different historical (and geographical) tradition, regardless of its merits and benefits. Yoga is non-Christian in origin, but it's certainly not anti-Christian.

I've heard of 'Christian' yoga being popular in the States. You get around the Eastern background it by doing the 'salute to the Son' rather than the 'Salute to the Sun'.

A school near me had to stop running yoga classes for this reason - separation of church and state (am in the US). I think fair enough if he considers it a religious practice he doesn't want to support - it is ultimately a spiritual discipline, even if it has been appropriated by Westerners.

Maybe they could find someone to do Praise moves instead, it's "yoga' only they use bible verses instead of the usual yoga names.
Theres no longer any yoga available around where I live so I tried Praise Moves and to me it's the same exercise, things like Downward dog is called the tent. I'm loving it, I go twice a week.
I can see why he doesn't want proper Yoga in the Church hall.
praisemoves.com/

I don't think he is being unreasonable. Yoga is at its core a non-Christian spiritual practice, so...

So is Christmas.

Another example of how religion is nothing to do with God.
God doesn't have 'one' religion does he? I'm sure the big man upstairs is fine with yoga.

toombs powerful sky pixie

Yes he's being a tool. Someone else mentioned bingo in church halls, surely that's gambling. It's another case of pleasing themselves.

The RC church is stuck in some very dark ages.

gimme - yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what 2000 years of theology boils down to.

Thing is, in the west, we do tend to have a bit of a 'pick and mix' approach to eastern religions, a lot of people don't see or care that yoga is part of another religion, hey, it's just a nice form of exercise... However, this was 'spiritual yoga' not even just an exercise class, so the person running and those attending can hardly be surprised it's not seen as just an exercise class.

But while a lot of church halls are used by other Christian groups, or different denominations, or non-religious groups, I haven't come across any Christian church hall being used by a different religion.

gimme the point is if you are a Christian, you believe that God does only have one religion, which while other denominations choose to practice their faith in the one god differently, people who are non-Christian are worshiping false gods and are completely wrong - and dangerous as they might tempt people away from the one true faith to worshiping something else that's a sin.

There aren't all part of the same thing at all. And most other faiths have a similar view, you are either in the club or not. You can be as pious as you like in the wrong religion, you're still in the shit come judgement day. Trick is to pick the right one.

Some Christians believe that, not all.

I think he is a bit over ready to see yoga as at odds with his religion. Even if there is meditation in it, is that really such a problem? Would you say christians are forbidden from meditating? And what is wrong with salute to the sun.... It's not actually worshipping the sun as a deity. As a christian you can also marvel in God's creation.

My DH sometimes went to Buddhist meditation and it wasn't uncommon to find Christians of various type including nuns meditating. Of course Buddhism isn't a religion with its own gods so its easier to blend than eg Hinduism I suppose. Meditation is a mental discipline which people may find to be 'spiritual' but its not fundamentally a supernatural, religious thing. I would imagine yoga is similar. It does things to your mental state which people may choose to label as spiritual if they're into woo - and look at in MRI scanners etc if they're not

Christianity has a tradition of mediation in its own right. Certainly nuns and monks do mediation with quiet retreats, being silent for long periods or Taize chanting.

I think its one of those areas which people have a right to an opinon.

Jesus answered, ?I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would knowb my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.?

Not all christians agree with the priest, but plenty do.

Why is he being unreasonable? The way the classes were advertised made it sound as if they were at odds with Catholic teaching. He didn't ban his parishioners from attending yoga classes. He just felt it inappropriate to allow something which seemed to be advocating an alternative to Catholic beliefs to be held on Catholic Church property.
If someone wanted to hold a Sausage and Beer party in aid of charity in the groudns of a Jewish synagogue would you feel it unreasonable for the Rabbi to say no, it wouldn't be appropriate in view of the Jewish philosopy on eating pork? I wouldn't.

most church halls have some restricitions on use, it varies some like this one things that are maybe not christian, some ban alcohol, gambling, no lotteries/tombolas raffles, or a christian charity shop that would not accept erotic novels or nude ( artistic) pictures etc, I am sure juslim, hindu, jewish community spaces would have similar rules everything has to be kosher/ halal

you may not agree with his decision but he is well within rights, also many older church halls have covenants about precisely what can happen, these are legal restraints and not easily overturned not as simple as committee voting for change

A silly decision (at least for a catholic who does yoga) but he is allowed to make it. It is his church hall. And church halls are controlled locally
Just glad none of my priests have ever been like that.

dontmind a bunch of Buddhists used to meet in our church hall when I was a kid. Our priest played football or something with one of them.

We can't have Hallowe'en parties in ours but i see their point.

You change the thread name to '' i wonder how i can shit stir, oh i know let me start a thread about Christianity'' woop woop bravo OP you are so clever

Of course he is BU but a little different to Muslims killing the US Ambassador and lots of other innocent victims over a badly made film!

This

If someone wanted to hold a Sausage and Beer party in aid of charity in the groudns of a Jewish synagogue would you feel it unreasonable for the Rabbi to say no, it wouldn't be appropriate in view of the Jewish philosopy on eating pork? I wouldn't.